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Thanks to an untimely loss earlier in the week by Greenwood, the Tigers now sit in the driver's seat in their quest for a fifth straight league title.

"We control our own destiny now as far as the TVL championship," East Juniata coach Don Troutman said. "We just have to come out and play."

And win - Greenwood carries just that one loss, which is the difference now between No. 1 and No. 2.

Jake Sankey scored both East Juniata goals; the first came in the 14th minute when Gabe Coder played the ball in, sent it to Sankey, who turned and struck to the right side.

The lead lasted until there were nine minutes remaining, when the 'Cats made the best of their own missed shot. A poorly played corner kick by Greenwood was not cleared well by the Tigers; Hunter Roth got a foot on it and passed to Seth Ferguson.

"He trapped the ball and turned and shot," Greenwood coach Tom Magill explained. "It was kind of a busted play"

Ferguson was the setup man for the third goal, which gave the Wildcats their first lead. He sent it on a long throw-in to Hunter Miller, whose first goal of the season couldn't have come at a better time.

"He got behind the defense on a through ball," Magill said.

It took fewer than 10 minutes for Sankey to be the hero. He scored on a set-play free kick as the second man to the ball.

Sankey, who's been quiet for a couple games, made a statement, but Troutman said the fact that he can count on several players is to the Tigers' advantage.

"I think that's one thing that has helped us," he said. "We've had different guys step up in the big games. It's been something that we didn't know we were going to have or not."

Magill said the game was intriguing because it was a mirror of the first meeting, which ended 1-1 in 100 minutes. In that game, homestanding East Juniata was slow to get moving while Greenwood set the pace; this time, Magill said, "It was a contrasting game in the sense that they came out and controlled the tempo for 25-30 minutes. We just absolutely refused to shoot the ball."

The league is only a part of this one for East Juniata, which also is seeking its fifth straight District 4 Class A crown.

"Wins and losses and ties mean a lot as far as your placement. I think it's a huge momentum builder for us," to get a tie rather than suffer a loss, Troutman said.

For District 3 Greenwood, not as much.

"Before this tie we were fourth in the power ratings. We may not move a whole lot," Magill said. "It will be interesting to see what transpires."

One thing's for sure: If the two end up squaring off a third time, there will be no tie.